By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Two weeks to the much-awaited 2023 general election, the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday embarked on troubleshooting mission to ensure that the elections are held as scheduled.
This is even as the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele has allayed the fears in some quarters that the crisis associated with the circulation of the redesigned Naira notes may jeopardize the 2023 general elections.
Emefiele who spoke when the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, led 11 National Commissioners; Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Orairian Anthony and other management staff on a visit to the Bank Headquarters in Abuja, assured the delegation the CBN will make available every cash needed to pay logistics for the success of the upcoming elections.
The CBN boss was responding to a request from Yakubu that the CBN should find a way of addressing persisting scarcity of the new Naira notes across the country with 17 days to the Presidential and National Assembly (NASS) elections because some service providers to the INEC are “unbanked.”
“The CBN under my watch will not allow itself to be used as agents to frustrate the forthcoming elections which is a positive assignment.
“If you require cash to pay some of your service providers, we will make it available to you. We will not allow ourselves to be seen as agents that frustrated a genuine assignment”, Emefiele assured INEC.
Earlier in his short remarks at the occasion, INEC Chairman had informed the CBN Governor that the 2023 polls will be the best in Nigeria’s history, adding that concerns have however been raised about the processes leading to the elections.
He said while the Commission has transferred all its accounts at the state and national levels to the apex bank, some of the services being rendered to the Commission needed to be paid for in cash hence he and his team came to solicit for the cooperation of the CBN Governor.
Meanwhile, Mahmood and his team headed straight to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) in Abuja after the courtesy visit to the CBN Governor for another round of pre-elections meeting.
Present in the second meeting were the leadership of Nigeria’s security agencies- NSA, Service Chiefs, Heads of Security and Intelligence Agencies.
In his remarks, INEC Chairman thanked the NSA for convening the high-level security meeting, pointing out that with just 17 days to the opening of the polls, the meeting could not have come at a better time than now.
Said he: “This meeting is coming at a critical moment for the 2023 general election. We welcome the assurances by the NSA and the Chief of Defence Staff/Inspector General of Police that the security and intelligence agencies are prepared for the election to proceed as scheduled.
“I would like to thank the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), for convening this high-level security meeting. With just 17 days to go, this meeting is coming at a critical moment for the 2023 General Election.
“We welcome the assurances by the NSA and the Chief of Defence Staff/Inspector General of Police that the security and intelligence agencies are prepared for the election to proceed as scheduled.
“For the Commission, our preparation for the election has gone far. Most of the sensitive and non-sensitive materials are already in the various locations nationwide. Training of all categories of ad-hoc staff will take place from 11th to 22nd February 2023.
Speaking further the INEC boss said:
“Election technology has been tested, mock accreditation conducted and configuration underway. The movement of personnel and materials has been worked out with the land and maritime transport unions. Facilities destroyed in recent attacks have either been repaired already or are being repaired. Where the damage is extensive, alternative facilities have been secured while materials lost will be replaced.
“We have also engaged other critical national institutions such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with regard to the adequate supply of petroleum products and the arrangement to pay for critical services without any encumbrances.
“We are glad that additional security has been deployed to our facilities nationwide. We also note the increasing tempo of activities in many troubled spots nationwide. We are confident that these actions will further reassure voters, our personnel, service providers and stakeholders of their safety during elections and of a free, fair and peaceful process.
“We look forward to the comprehensive plan for the deployment of security personnel, including their various duty posts and contact details. This arrangement has been done in the past and has greatly facilitated rapid response to situations that may arise in the field either on Election Day or during the collation of results”.
